A new seed mixture just might be the next “bee’s knees.”
Grassland Oregon recently launched a new product called Pastures for Pollinators, which includes a variety of flowering annual clovers to support sustainable livestock farming in the United States and increase pollinator populations.
According to Grassland Oregon, native bees contribute over $9 billion to the U.S. economy by pollinating crops, while managed hives contribute over $15 billion. However, over the last five decades, the number of bee colonies has decreased by half and the cost of bee hive rentals for farmers has tripled. Monarch butterfly migrations have declined from 550 million in 2004 to 33 million in 2013.
Pastures for Pollinators seed mixture offers a solution to the declining pollinator population problem. Livestock farmers can use this new seed blend for the health of their soil and cattle, with the added benefit of creating new natural habitats for pollinators.
“With over 400 million acres of pastureland in the U.S., there is a huge opportunity to make an impact on pollinator habitat while also meeting the needs farmers and ranchers have in feeding their livestock and sustaining their soil resources,” said Risa DeMasi, co-founder of Grassland Oregon. “All of us at Grassland Oregon are passionate about what we do and want to give back to the agricultural community. That’s why we are donating the profits from Pastures for Pollinators to further sustainable agricultural research programs.”
